The Stitch and Craft Show, Olympia

Greetings from the Stitch and Craft Show. This is the biggest spring craft exhibition, and covers all things knit, tapestry, cross stitch and papercraft split over three floors. As a result there are a lot of different people through the doors in a day with widely varied interests and skills.

We are at stand FI04 on the first floor, and have the full range of our knitting kits available.

The show features a big quilting display- and this patchwork yurt by Mollie Makes.

The show is open until 5pm on Sunday. Hope to meet some of you here.

Meanwhile if any of your are in the Midlands and short of something to do tomorrow- The British Alpaca Futurity is being held at the NEC. We also have a tradestand here- and you will have the chance of seeing over 400 of the UK's top alpacas in one place.

Bulb Bag Workshop Review

We can't be sure if it's the whiff of spring in the air, or perhaps it's the love felt (pardon the pun) for our bulb bags, but last weekend's bulb bag workshop was one of the nicest workshop sessions in a long while.

Don't get us wrong, our craft workshops are always great fun. We love sharing our alpaca and craft knowledge with all our visitors, but sometimes it all comes together in a magic way- the weather, the mix of people, the animals looking their full fleece snuggly best, the knitting and of course the cake- this was one of those days.

After a gloriously sunny walk, a highlight of which was watching Archie the llama trotting and swooshing grandly about his paddock, we came back to the farm to choose two balls of Aran alpaca yarn and a unique handturned small button with which to begin knitting mini bulb bags.

Some of the group couldn't pick just one and few opted for a big button instead of a small one. One creative lady even decided to try a striped bag, she very kindly sent some photos pre felting.

Toft Top Tip- don't always stick to the rules- upgrading to a bigger button than recommended makes for a fab statement. And because you can always transform your bag by swapping the button for a different wood type or size there's no excuse not to use your bag season after season.

The dogs were as usual a bit of a talking point, joined on Saturday by honorary workshop guest Matilda the terrier cross. Harvey skulked around under the table trying to disguise himself with yarn in order to pounce on any crumbs that might fall from the yummy shortbread biscuits that are fast becoming as talked about as the view from Toft.

We discussed the endless merits of knitting with KnitPros especially since circular needles are used for knitting any size of bulb bag. We covered topics such as felting, picking up stitches, knitting in the round and leaving and returning to sts (several of these techniques can be found in our knitting help pages). Our new KnitPro sets and the fixed needles were super popular in the postworkshop shopping spree, as was chunky yarn for a couple of beginner snoods

Toft Top Tip- you don't need to be a beginner to love our beginner knitting kits like the snoods or beret, they are perfect easy knitting projects to take to your knitting group so you don't get your needles in a twist after a few classes of wine!

If you are a Toft SUBSCRIBER tomorrow's free knitting pattern will be for a simple snood or cowl.

Sarah (thank you for your photos), she of striped bulb bag fame, went for several chunky colours with which to knit rib cowls- a fantastic effort for someone who claimed to have taught herself to knit backwards by mistake and then re-learnt the right way just a week or so ago!

So if you fancy joining us for another fantastic alpaca crafty knitting workshop we've a beginner crochet workshop and felting workshop next month. The next bulb bag workshop is 26th May and they're all available to book online now. The next time we host a workshop we will be in Toft Studio- what a treat.

Hope to see you soon!

Toft at Unravel 2012

Last weekend (has it been a week already?!) Carrie and Mr P went to their old home town of Farnham Surrey with a truck load of alpaca yarn and knitted goodies for a weekend of Unravel and the prospect of meeting up with lots of old friends.

This was Unravel's 4th year and in that time the show has grown from just two or three rooms of local traders to filling every nook and cranny of the Farnham Maltings even down to the cafe - resplendent with Farnham Knitwit's creations, to the bridge across the river decorated with crocheted balloons. Every corner you turned there was a fabulous artistic knit related creation to behold and to greet people outside the Maltings were four very cute sheep (breed unknown) one of whom made a heroic escape for freedom on Saturday morning. It was a very funny sight from Toft's first floor vantage point - to see a gorgeous fluffy sheep dashing as fast as she could down the car park closely followed by passers by doing their best sheep dog herding impressions.

This year we were situated in a great corner of the Barley Room that could quite honestly have be built for us. Carrie & Mr P didn't have too huge a row whilst setting up (that blinking wood!) and had a chance to catch up with Ingrid Wagner and her Extreme Knitting as she was situated just opposite, before heading out into Farnham to meet with friends for supper.

Saturday morning saw a long queue outside The Maltings, Carrie spotted lots of familiar faces who all popped by to say hello and satiate their alpaca yarn cravings with the five weights of yarn that we had with us. She also took along a few exclusives from the S/S 12 collection (available online now!) including the Clematis Beret and new two colour bobble hottie.

Firm favourite such as the striped deck jumper and round neck jumper were the most popular, so much so that Carrie sold out of mushroom fine alpaca yarn that first afternoon. The sale lace cardigans were also a hit as we knew they would be with the chic inhabitants of Farnham and surrounds!

Lots of pom poms were also purchased - many as inexpensive and easy to care for pets we suspect, but also quite a few to adorn pom pom beanies and the beginner pom pom scarf. It was also the first outing for our new selection of KnitPro needles, available online now in various fixed chunky sizes as well as two different sets, the feedback on us now selling these needles was fantastic so we're glad we took the plunge.

Sunday was another busy day with more familiar faces and some who decided to come back after having such a good time on Saturday. The fashion show took place in the afternoon and Carrie managed to recruit a keen camera woman (!) to take some pics for her of our outfit - those to follow. We dressed our lucky model in a cross-over dress, a pom pom beanie, the new and exclusive S/S 12 chunky cable cape, some cable wristwarmers and bobble legwarmers - do you think she was cosy enough?!

This little fella was one of three knitted moles and molehills to be found outside The Maltings - we just couldn't resist him! Well we are looking forward to Unravel 2013 already - it's certainly a show not to miss, especially if it's anything like this year!

*Carrie apologises to all the fantastic 'knit' artists of whose work she took photos of however she didn't take down names and feels very naughty.*